


Prompt 16 (Alain 3)

by Yoselin



Series: L&L Tumblr Prompts [19]
Category: Love & Legends (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 02:16:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15329502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoselin/pseuds/Yoselin
Summary: Name used here is Hannah. Originally posted to Tumblr.First word Soulmate AU.





	Prompt 16 (Alain 3)

An arm slings across my shoulder just as I leave my workplace. I jolt in surprise before recognition dawns on me. My best friend since college, Sophie, appears at my side with a friendly grin on her face.   
“Hey stranger, you ready for our movie date?” She tilts her head and shows me her phone screen. A fantasy movie poster greets me on the screen. The premise is yet another Soulmate Movie.   
I grimace and fix the zipper on my coat. While I have nothing against fantasy romance movies, Soulmate movies are an entirely different can of worms.   
“Right, I promised you we’d go to that one,” I shrug my shoulders and try to seem nonchalant. In truth, I want no part in a movie that glorifies soulmate stamps and pushes the agenda than a non-mark will be forever alone.   
Sophie’s lips purse in a mock pout and she flicks her cellphone screen. She matches my pace evenly as we walk.   
“You don’t seem excited. This movie has been advertised since last year and it’s reeled in thousands on the opening weekend. You should be thrilled that I booked our tickets in advance,” she wags her fingers at me playfully.   
“Soulmate movies aren’t really my thing. I don’t need some Hollywood screenwriter bashing non-marks and portraying soulmate stamps as a perfect gift from God. There’s enough politicians out there trying to outlaw non-mark marriage as it is,” I remark. My fingers close around my wrist where my soulmate stamp should be.   
It’s not.   
Soulmate stamps, markings on a person’s wrist which denote the first words their soulmate will ever speak to them, are prized in the world. Less than 59% of the world’s total population has them, and less than 12% of the remaining 41% will develop them later on in life. I, unfortunately, am not one of the 12. While Sophie and my other friends were born with theirs, my soulmate stamp never developed. My wrist remains unmarked and blank.   
Non-marks, those born without stamps, are seen as cursed. We are the people that do not deserve a soulmate according to many politicians. Society deems us as undesirable and movies exploit the tragedy that they believe our lives are. Movies like the one Sophie wants to see mock our existence by portraying lovey-dovey Soulmate couples on the big screen.   
Sophie must realize my line of thinking because her mock pout suddenly becomes true. She rubs at her own wrist briefly, where her soulmate stamp is emblazoned across the skin like a tattoo, and blushes. Like most of the world, she finds it awkward to bring up her own stamp before a non-mark.   
“I didn’t think about it that way, sorry Hannah,” she murmurs.   
I shrug and nod at her cellphone. The movie poster is still displayed across the screen. A pair of actors decked out in armor pose for the camera with their soulmate stamps revealed. The banner reads something about “true love” and “destiny.”  
“Did you already buy the tickets?”   
“I can get a refund. I wanted to see if you still felt like coming. Do you want to skip the movie and watch some horror thing instead?” Sophie moves to close out of the tab. I stop her with a shake of my head.   
“Nah. I’ll go with you,” I relent. While I’ll probably hate every second of the movie, I can at least pretend to like it for my friend.   
Sophie brightens at my decision. “Good because I’ve been waiting for this one to come out. I know the whole soulmate thing is a touchy subject, but the movie doesn’t focus on it. It’s mainly a fantasy war movie. Our protagonist is a hero who discovers that her soulmate is on the opposing side. She fights her feelings and destiny and tries to prove that soulmate stamps aren’t always right.”  
I snort and trace my finger over my unmarked wrist. There were times I had cried as a kid for not having one while my friends did, but now it’s just a bitter pill I have to swallow. Soulmate stamps aren’t necessary, my parents met each other without them, and the whole concept of love is overrated.   
I slip my hands into my pockets and give Sophie a noncommittal response. Once her phone beeps with the ticket purchase, she slings her arm around my shoulders. Her wrist displays _’Oops. Sorry, I didn’t see you there.’_ in dark letters.   
“You know, you still could get a soulmate stamp. Some people are destined to be with younger lovers,” she teases me.   
“I’m 25. If I suddenly wake up tomorrow with a soulmate stamp, I’m going to throw up,” I make a face.   
Sophie laughs and opens her mouth to rebuff something.   
All of a sudden a downpour of rain cascades around us. I shriek and dive for the roof of a nearby restaurant. The weather forecast had predicted sunny skies, so I have no umbrella to shield myself with.   
Sophie holds up her purse on top of her head and looks soaked to the bone.   
“Jeez, it’s strong! We’re going to have to take a raincheck on that movie. There’s no way I’m walking halfway across downtown for a movie. Meet here tomorrow?” She shivers in place as her thin blouse is soaked.   
“Yeah!” I call back. The wind is picking up now and it is freezing.   
Sophie nods and spins around. She runs as fast as she can across the street in search for her apartment. I echo her and go the other way.   
As soon as I leave the alcove of the restaurant, a clap of thunder sounds above me and my entire vision turns white. I have no time to scream before I go falling and the world disappears before me. 

I squeeze my eyes shut and expect to get a face full of cement but instead land on soft grass. I freeze in place and shake when I realize the rain is gone and the sounds of people surround me.   
My heart skips a beat.   
Instead of the rain soaked Chicago streets, I am greeted by a town that looks like it stepped out of a history book picture. Medieval looking peasants stand stock still gaping at me and the sounds of scuffling armor register somewhere away from me.   
I freeze and gape. Wherever I am, I am not in Chicago anymore.   
Feeling more than a little lightheaded and confused, I stand. My muscles ache from the fall and my head swims with the effects of confusion.   
Breathe, Hannah, breathe.   
I pinch my arm and take hesitant steps back. The crowd around me continues to stare and shocked murmurs greet me. It looks like the medieval renfare people are more afraid of me than I am of them. For some reason, that makes everything worse.   
I must have been hit by lightning. I am probably plugged up to thousands of machines in some hospital room. When I wake up from this weird Medieval Times knock off, I will have a looong hospital bill to stress about and Sophie will have the number of the cutest doctor in the hospital. Everything will be fine as soon as I wake up.   
I take a step towards a woman near me and raise my voice.   
“Where am I?” I ask. My voice sounds raspy and I cough.   
The woman jerks away from me and turns white. She opens her mouth to scream something, and the sound of pounding horse hooves and armor grow louder.   
I turn and see two people approaching on horseback. One man is wearing armor and has an actual sword strapped to the side. The other one looks like the protagonist of one of Sophie’s fantasy movies and wears green.   
The man wearing armor all but jumps off his horse and rushes at me. I take steps away from him as he draws his sword.   
“Witch Queen! Stop right there and surrender!” He waves the sword at me and I have a feeling it isn’t one of those Halloween props you buy at Walmart.   
“What’s going on?!” I raise my hands up before me to show that I am unarmed. My heart begins to race and the pounding headache developing comes full force. I almost black out.   
Breathe, Hannah, this is probably just some really bizarre fever dream. I am probably in a medically induced coma right now and will wake up any minute.   
The green-decked companion leaps off his horse with more grace. He looks more composed than his partner and offers me an amused smile. I almost relax for a second, content with the beautiful smile that spreads across his face, but tense as soon as I catch the spark of something dark in his eyes. Like his armored friend, this one doesn’t like me ether.   
“Now, now, August, that’s no way to talk to a lady. No wonder you have no soulmate stamp,” the man teases. He moves towards me and extends his hand with a flourish. When he bends down to bow at me, his long white hair parts and I see his ears. They’re pointed like that of an elf.   
My breath catches in my throat. Jeez, I really am in a fever dream.   
The man-no, elf-moves his hand towards me.   
“What my socially inept friend is trying to say is that you should probably come with us,” he blinks up at me.   
I take a step back from his hand and begin to shake. The action makes the armored one tense and his sword moves in his grip. His scowl is amplified and he looks like he’s getting ready for an assault.   
“Don’t move. Either come with us willingly or by force,” he grinds it out like it’s a threat. Judging by the tight grip on his weapon, I’m sure it is.   
“I have no idea what’s going on,” I repeat. I suddenly feel very ill.   
The green dressed one takes a step closer to me. “Then perhaps you should come with us and we can explain it to you at the castle.”  
I bite my lip. His companion takes a step closer and the blade looks more menacing than before.   
I look around. I have three options.   
I can run although the crowd around us doesn’t look like it would part so easily for an escape, plus I have no idea of where I could go.   
I could fight although I have no weapon and the two strangers do.   
Or I could comply.   
My raging headache gets worse and I bite the inside of my cheek. This is the stupidest dream I’ve ever had, but I might as well play along. When in Rome do as the Romans.   
“Fine,” I agree.   
The armored one sheaths his sword and narrows his eyes at me. He turns to his horse and pulls out iron shackles-  
Actual, iron shackles-  
And nods at me. He takes tentative steps forward as if preparing for a fight.   
I don’t give him one. The shackles are terrifying but the sword at his hip is more so.   
“Excellent choice, my lady,” the elf remarks. He places his hands at his hips and purses his lips at his companion. “Yet the shackles may be a bit much, August.”  
The man, August, sends him a dirty look back and motions for me to extend my hands.   
“Precautions, Iseul. Do you want her magic to attack us?”   
I frown in confusion about the magic charge and extend my hands. The shackles clamp down on them painfully-  
But I no longer care about the pain. Instead, my attention falls across my wrist. The breath leaves my lips and I feel dizzy.   
There across my skin is the phrase, _’I finally found you.’_

The cell door clangs behind me yet I barely hear it. My fingers are too busy tracing the soulmate stamp across my wrist for the hundredth time. Soulmate stamps don’t just appear over night, not if a person’s soulmate is already born. The entire thing is incredible and more than a little daunting.   
The elf, Iseul, leans across the bars to peer at me. His eyes read the stamp silently and he quirks one eyebrow.   
“So even people like you have a soulmate? There really is someone for everyone,” he remarks. For some reason, his voice sounds bitter when he says it. His own wrist is blank, no stamp in sight, yet I have a feeling it’s more than just bitter jealousy.   
“Where am I?” I ask.   
Now that the shock of an appearing stamp is fading, I am starting to come to terms with the fact that I am locked up in a dungeon and have no idea what is happening. My head feels like it’s underwater and I feel dizzy.   
The knight from before, August, gives me a dirty look. He places his hand on the hilt of his sword as a warning and narrows his eyes. There is no love lost between us. He looks like he hates me more than his companion and does not even pretend to be civil.   
“You are under arrest by Lord Reiner’s orders. You will be tried for your crimes and executed-“  
“You can’t execute me! I’m innocent and I have a soulmate,” I raise my wrist.   
Iseul sniffs at me and his lips purse in disgust. While he tries to act more cordial than Sir-bitches-a-lot, he still makes it no secret that he doesn’t like me. Whatever these two think I have done, they hate me for it.   
“The law says we can’t kill you because of your soulmate, but we will try you anyway. Fear not, if your soulmate ever appears, we’ll lock them up here with you. Whatever wretched creature is unfortunate enough to end up with you must be as vile as they come, Witch Queen,” he hisses.   
Witch Queen. There’s that word again. I squeeze my fists.   
“Who the hell is that?” I approach the bars of the cell-  
And August yanks Iseul away from them. His hand goes for his sword and he warns me to stay back. I freeze with one hand on the bars.   
“Your acting is not convincing, Witch. We will not fall for your lies. Bite your tongue and await for your trial,” he hisses.   
I scowl at him. “I’m not lying. Whatever you think I did, I’m innocent.”  
Iseul yawns into his hand although he also looks tense. Like August, it appears his own patience has worn thin. He takes a few step towards me and offers me a charming smile that has a razor’s edge to it.   
“Tell that to our Lord although I am sure he will not believe you either. If you are innocent, we will release you. For now, enjoy our castle’s hospitality.”  
“How charming. This place really owns up to its five stars on Yelp,” my voice drips with sarcasm.   
They both frown, perplexed, before spinning away. As they begin to leave the dungeons, I press a hand to my head.   
Whatever dream I am in, it sucks.

Once left alone, I am free to piece together what has happened. I was in Chicago an hour earlier and was hit by lightning, I’m probably in the middle of a very bizarre drug induced dream complete with dungeons and shackles, and I have just received my soulmate stamp.   
The stamp is the most shocking part. Setting aside the Renfare mess, the soulmate stamp is what worries me the most. I have lived much of my adult life without a stamp, but now it appears after I was hit by lighting?   
“The Universe has a twisted sense of humor,” I remark. My fingers trace the wording on my wrist for the thousandth time.   
A sound before me makes me look up and I see a figure crouched on the wall. A pair of mismatched eyes peer at me and the stranger raises an eyebrow.   
“Who are you?” I jolt from my seat and tense.   
The stranger peers at me for another second before straightening. There’s a curiosity to his gaze but also an edge. He’s come here to observe me but won’t have any qualms with hurting me.   
“My name is Saerys,” he remarks. He continues to stare at me as if sizing me up.   
I cross my hands in front of myself and hide my soulmate stamp from view. His gaze seems wrong somehow. I clench my jaw.   
“Is this how all your guests are treated? You throw them in the dungeons on false accusations?”   
“August and Iseul would never have imprisoned someone falsely,” comes the simple reply.   
The stranger spins on his heels and looks away from me. Whatever he has come to see, his curiosity has been sated.   
I press against the bars and call out to him. “What am I in here for?!”  
My voice echoes against the empty dungeon and the stranger halts at the door. He doesn’t turn around but he does move his head to the side where he can see me from the corner of his eye. His arms lift in a shrug.   
“You should know, your Majesty.”  
His voice drips with sarcasm and I frown to myself. What exactly do they think I have done?   
I open my mouth to ask something else but the stranger has slinked back into the shadows and is no where to be found. 

It is another half hour before a fourth figure appears. She arrives in a shower of sparks and flower petals. I hardly have time to gape at the magic she has before she is before me. Her mouth is quirked up in an amused smirk and her fingers twirl her staff to one side.   
“Magic,” I breathe out.   
It makes no sense. Magic does not exist asides from the card tricks you see at Vegas, yet this stranger has just appeared out of no where. This dream keeps getting weirder and weirder.   
The girl moves one leg beside her and lowers herself as if in a mocking curtsy. She rises after a beat and stares at the bars of the cell. Her lips purse.   
“It looks like someone is having a bad day?” She sounds almost amused as she asks this. Her fingers touch the metal before me.  
“Who are you?” I ask. I meet her halfway to the bars.   
The girl presses a hand to her chest and a bright smile illuminates her face. “I am Altea Bellerose. You are?”  
“Hannah,” I answer.   
She murmurs back a ‘charmed’ and twirls her staff once more. Sparks and flower petals rise in the air around her and I have to gawk again.   
“Are you normally surrounded by flowers and lights?” I breathe out a laugh certain that I am losing my grip with reality.   
The girl, Altea, winks conspiratorially.   
“Only when I want to make a good first impression,” she taps the bars with her staff and I hear a lock come undone. The door swings open moments later.   
“You’re letting me out?” I can’t help the surprise in my voice. I take a tentative step forwards and wait for a trick. When none come, I move again and again until I am outside the cell.   
“I opened the door didn’t I?” Altea remarks. She presses a finger to her lips and drops her voice to a whisper. “Someone has to help you find that soulmate of yours.”  
I stare back at the stamp on my wrist still mystified. The words greet me silently back and I half expect them to disappear when I blink. None of this feels real.   
Altea nods her head at me and motions for me to follow. I do so.

The outside of the castle looks authentic. Intricate details are laid out before me, details my mind could have never come up with on their own, and I stare around myself in wonder.   
Altea leads me down a few hallways and taps her staff on the floor as she walks. We pass by several doors leading outside but she never stops at any of them. I frown.   
“Why are you helping me?”   
Altea hums at the back of her throat and sends me a teasing smile. “Perhaps I like helping damsels in distress.”  
I bristle. “I’m not a damsel in distress.”  
“Right. You certainly looked plenty capable of helping yourself in that cell,” she teases.   
I bite my tongue and flush. She has a point but I will never admit to it.   
I am saved from having to answer back when two figures appear before us. They are dressed as a maid and butler but that’s not what catches my attention. A woman that looks exactly like Sophie greets me with a weary look.   
“Sophie,” I whisper her name under my breath in shock.   
Altea greets them with a nod. “Solaire. Ryland. Has the meeting started?”   
The woman, not Sophie but Solaire, nods at a door at the end of the corridor. The harsh murmur of voices can be heard past the wood oak. I recognize two of them, August and Iseul, but can’t make the third one out.   
Realization dawns on me and I clench my fists. “You tricked me.”  
Altea shrugs and gives me a smirk. For the first time, her polite facade gives way and a cold light shines in her eyes. Like her friends, she harbors resentment.   
“I do the best with what I have,” she remarks.   
“What is happening? Why am I here?” I dig my heels into the floor and refuse to approach the door.   
“You should know, Witch Queen,” Altea shrugs.   
Witch Queen. There’s that name again.   
“You all keep mentioning this Witch Queen but I have no idea what it is. Who is she?”   
My question earns a laugh from Altea. It is a bright giggle that somehow sends a shiver down my spine. Her fingers clench against her staff and she beckons me towards the door once more.   
“That is a funny jest. I did not expect you to be this amusing,” she quips.   
I have no more time to ask anything before her hand tugs me towards the study. She opens the door and ushers me inside. 

Inside the study are four figures. I recognize three of them, August, Iseul, and Saerys, but the fourth is unknown. He leans against a large window and glances at me as I enter. I can sense power radiating off of him in waves. Whoever he is, he seems important.   
Altea gives me a light shove further into the room before closing the door. She leans against it with one heel against the wood and digs her staff into the floor for balance. Her position could be seen as casual, but I know she is just leaning against the door as a warning to me. If I try and make a run for it, I will have to get through her first.   
Altea smiles past my shoulder at the man. “Our guest is here.”  
The man turns his head to see me. A large scar runs jagged across one eye and his jaw is fixed. He steps away from the window and approaches me.   
“So I see,” he remarks. His voice is a commanding baritone that demands attention. His eyes scan me from head to toe as if searching for something.   
I tense and clench my fists. “What are you staring at?”   
I hear a hiss from next to me. August has one hand on the hilt of his sword and sends a venomous glare at me. “Watch how you speak to Lord Reiner, Witch.”  
Lord Reiner? The name means nothing to me and I give him a confused stare. The man, Reiner, lifts a hand at August in a warning. He regards me again and comes to a stop a few steps away from me. His hands clasp behind his back giving him an air of authority.   
“I am the Lord of this domain. The title once belonged to my father and brother but I assumed the mantel when they died. Together with my companions, I defeated a very powerful enemy,” he takes a step forward, “I defeated YOU.”  
His words register somewhere at the back of my mind. I frown and suddenly feel very irritated. This dream makes no sense and I can’t wake up no matter how hard I try.   
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” I murmur. My fingers press to my temples where the beginning of a headache makes itself known.   
“She plays the fool well,” August remarks.   
Next to him, lazily lounging against a bookshelf, Iseul smirks. “The same can be said for you, August.”  
August turns to him about to start an argument. I cut through it feeling confused.   
“You think I’m the Witch Queen?” I breathe it out and shake my head. None of this makes any sense.   
Altea frowns. “This joke is not funny a second time.”  
“It’s not a joke,” I snap at her. My irritation is peaking and I press a fist to my temple.   
Saerys, lurking at the back of the room, purses his lips.   
“I am not quite sure she is jesting,” he murmurs. His gaze is boring into me as if daring me to prove him wrong.   
Reiner rubs at his scar and his jaw tenses.   
“I have no way of knowing if she is lying,” he admits. His eyes go to my wrist where I am trying to rub the headache away. My soulmate stamp is visible in the low sunset and he frowns. “Either way, the law states we cannot execute someone with a soulmate stamp.”  
August sends me a sneer. “It must be an illusion. She never had it in battle before, so how did she acquire one now? She knows what our law says about Soulmate Marks and she is trying to take advantage of it.”  
“There is an easy way of knowing,” Altea quips. She kicks off her place at the door and extends her hand to me.   
For some reason, I really don’t want her to check. I have lived my entire life without a stamp and to have one now seems personal. My fingers clench against the stamp and I bite my lip.   
“Show her your hand,” Reiner orders. He tenses.   
The room has grown tense. August looks like he is looking for an excuse to unsheathe his sword and Altea looks suspicious. I have no choice then.   
Slowly, very slowly, I extend my hand. Altea’s fingers press into my soulmate stamp. Pink sparks dig into my skin and a faint light emits from the stamp. I’ve seen that light emit from Sophie’s hand before.   
Altea murmurs a spell under her voice and the light grows in intensity. She rubs her finger across the words on my hand but they don’t disappear. She frowns and turns over her own hand where I can see her own stamp. She releases my hand and presses her fingers to her own. Her stamp glows exactly like mine.   
The room grows quiet and she retreats back to her place at the door.   
“It is authentic. The mark is real,” she concludes. She sounds mystified as she says it.   
A breath I hadn’t realized I was holding escapes me. I press my fingers to the mark on my wrist suddenly very relieved. A part of me was worried the stamp wasn’t real. I’ve lived so long without one that to lose it now would be a cruel trick of fate.   
Reiner rubs at his jaw and presses his lips together. I can see millions of thoughts swirling around his head. The fact that I have a soulmate has brought problems to whatever plans he had.   
I remember his words from before. If he was telling the truth, then he cannot do anything to me. Soulmate Laws are strict in my world, a huge privilege is awarded to those with stamps, and the look on his face indicates that they may be harsher here.   
“Then we cannot imprison her. She will have to be guarded by one of us until the time comes,” he decides.   
He lifts himself to his full height, towers over me, and opens his mouth.   
As soon as he begins to speak, a harsh horn sounds out. The sound is so loud my hands press to my ears.   
The room jolts into action. Weapons are drawn and the door is flung open. The sounds of metal hitting metal can be heard from deeper in the castle. A hand clamps on mine and yanks me to one side.   
Iseul has his grip on me and his eyes are narrowed. “They’re attacking.”  
He is right. I can hear a battle from deeper within the castle. Reiner runs for the window and peers down. His jaw clenches.   
“The courtyard. The Generals are here.”  
A harsh atmosphere descends on the room. Whoever the Generals are, they are bad news. I can see everyone glare at me with accusation.   
“You think I’m working for them?” I try to pull my arm free of Iseul’s grasp.   
“The other way around, my lady,” Iseul’s voice drips with sarcasm.   
I glare at him as the others launch into action. August draws his sword and runs outside, Altea is at his heels, and Saerys follows with a dark glint in his eyes. Reiner walks towards us and nods at Iseul. The hand on my arm lets go although Iseul stays at my side in case I dare to escape.   
“The Generals are your servants. They have waged wars across this domain and committed the genocide of Saerys’ people. They are here for your return. Did you contact them?” Reiner’s eyes are narrowed.   
I spread my hands in front of me. “How? I was locked up! Sprint Unlimited doesn’t exactly cover calls within dreams,” I hiss.   
Another confused frown, my words don’t make any sense to them, but the two don’t pause to mull it over. Iseul tugs at me again and clamps his hand on my arm. This time, however, his grip isn’t as harsh.   
“Keep an eye on her,” Reiner orders. He moves past me to rush into the courtyard. The sounds of fighting grow louder.   
Iseul moves too and I am dragged behind him.   
“Come, my Queen, it is time your servants saw you,” he hisses. 

The courtyard is animated in fights. Magic spells whizz past us and stray arrows miss us by an inch. It is chaos and carnage. The scent of blood hangs heavy in the air and the sound of striking steel resounds everywhere.   
Knights in red and green armor battle those in whites and teals. The reds are outnumbered yet they are changing the tide of battle. For some reason, I feel like that is a good thing.   
Perhaps it is what the others said earlier, but I have a feeling nothing good will come out of the blue army winning.   
“Stay close,” Iseul warns. He pulls at an arrow and strings it on his bow. I press behind him, shaking to the bone, and watch as he takes down one soldier.   
I hate war movies, always disliked the blood and shrieks of the fight, and now I am seeing one play out before me. How great.   
I can see the others facing off opponents. Reiner battles a man who looks like a watered down and rejected version of Doctor Strange. Altea faces a woman who flashes a little thigh as her dress moves with the force of her magic. Saerys faces an unsettlingly handsome man dressed as a creepy choir boy. And August faces off an opponent with pointed ears and an almost feral grin.   
“What’s happening?” I voice out. I am still pressed to Iseul’s back and am using him as a human shield-or Elven shield.   
Iseul fires another arrow and tugs me along. His entire body is tense and he weaves me past fights. He is trying to get to the thick of the battle where his companions are.   
“The Generals are here,” comes his reply. He does a mental tally in his head and scans around him. His eyes are narrowed. “There is one missing.”  
I grind my teeth together and cower. From the way he speaks about the Generals, I know they are bad news. Reiner had mentioned wars and genocide before. Are these the fantasy version of nazis?  
I take a step away from Iseul as another arrow surges past me. Iseul fires back and takes down the archer who had dared to attack. He points a finger at me and presses his lips together.   
“Lord Reiner has offered you protection because of your mark. Do not betray him now by running back to your servants. We have defeated all of you once and can do it again,” he warns.   
I clench my jaw at him. “I am not working with them!”  
Iseul doesn’t waste time arguing with me. Next to us, one of the Generals has spotted me. He is the one facing Reiner off with a large axe. His eyes widen in shock and he calls for the others around him.   
“The Queen!”  
For some reason, the cruelty and delight in his tone seems more terrifying than anything I have ever heard before. I suddenly am very in agreement with Iseul. Being locked up in Reiner’s dungeon seems like a better alternative than working with these people.   
Iseul swears out a curse in a language I do not understand. “You were spotted. If you do not want the might of the council against you, I suggest you run back into the castle. Do not betray Lord Reiner, Witch. If you try to run to your companions, I will have an arrow at your back before you make it two steps.”  
I nod at him feeling dizzy. Without needing to be asked a second time, I turn around and bolt back to the castle. 

I almost make it there, am only feet away from the door, when I trip. I crash hard against the dirt floor and almost bang my head against a bench. My hands catch myself in time and I am frozen in place.   
I have criticized girls in horror movies for falling and not getting back up, but now I understand. Fear is a paralyzing thing and sometimes adrenaline freezes you in place rather than pushing you to flee or fight.   
The sounds of battle are drowned out around me as a figure approaches. His blue eyes are wide with shock, his blonde hair is illuminated in the low, dying sunlight, and his armor shines with blood.   
It is like the world slows down as our eyes meet. The battle suddenly seems so far away and my previous fear dissipates.   
This feels both wrong and right somehow. The man wears the colors of white and teal, a combination I have learned to fear in the short day I have been here, yet something about him almost seems welcoming. My mind says to run away from this enemy soldier yet my heart skips a beat and orders me to stay.   
The soldier makes it to where I am, moves his double bladed weapon aside, and a breath leaves his lips.   
“I finally found you,” he remarks.   
His words spill from his lips and I feel something burn on my wrist. My soulmate stamp illuminates in a harsh blue light and electricity courses through my skin. I taste the magic, sense an emotional cord snapping into place between us, and feel a mixture of fear and wonder.   
The man’s eyes widen when he sees my stamp glow and he extends a hand to me. I stare at it wondering whether I should take it or not.   
The connection between us, the one I can feel through our soulmate link, tells me to do so. The mark on my wrist pulses with the indication that this is my destiny and I must accept it-  
But something primal screams at me not to. Thousands of generations of ancestors warn me against this aggressor in enemy colors and bloody armor. Fear overrides my senses and I move away from him.   
“No!” I hurl the word at him and cower.   
He stops suddenly and his own stamp glows. A light emits from his skin and I feel our connection solidify between us. Our soulmate stamps bleed blue into our skin indicating that we have been matched. He stares at his hand with wonder and awe.   
And I stare at his own mark, illuminated by my words, with growing revulsion and fear. I feel my eyes burn with unshed tears and I scratch my nails into the skin of my stamp as if I could claw it out from existence. My breath comes short and panicked.   
I repeat my earlier words in my head and draw blood as my hands try to rip my stamp out of my skin with my nails.   
_No._


End file.
